Pirate Assassin

Page 22

Zack marched to Tetrad who was standing at the stern, right next to the helmsman. "Tetrad, it occurred to me that I'm going to an academy where there are cadets who have been training there all their lives," Tetrad looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "Your point?" he growled. "Well, can I get some intensive training instead of running around like some kid on a field trip?" Tetrad, instead of answering him, looked far ahead into space. "Now that you are a cadet, you will address me by rank and in military fashion. Do you understand?" "Yes sir, Commodore sir!" Zack said, unfazed. A ghost of a smile flashed past Tetrad's face but he nodded and pointed at Yohkin who was walking to and fro on the deck. "Go to Yohkin and he will start you off," Zack saluted and ran off not aware that the others on the stern were all grinning like idiots.

Zack saluted Yohkin and say something when Yohkin put up his hand, "None of that formal army rubbish, if you please," Zack let out the breath that he was about to use when Yohkin scratched his chin thoughtfully, "though I suppose a simple 'sir' will do, just to make sure you know who's in charge here," Zack inclined his head, "Sir, yes sir," Yohkin passed a hand through his hair, "Great, another mechanical soldier. Anyway, I heard you're eager to start training, yes?" Zack nodded. "Alright, so, first lesson," and he punched Zack hard. Not expecting it, he fell backwards but his fighting instincts from jail kicked in and as he fell down, he planted his hands on the floor and kicked upwards. Yohkin caught it and flipped him around so that Zack landed painfully on his back. "Always be prepared. But I must admit, that wasn't such a bad response," and Zack was helped up by two sailors who were chuckling. Zack brushed his shirt and shot a fist out. Yohkin just calmly evaded the blow and as Zack's body sailed past, he grabbed him and flipped him on the deck again. This time the laughter became louder. Zack rubbed his sore back and was aware that Yohkin was looking down at him grinning, "Well, I think you're gonna do just fine,"

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"These are the standard issue weapons for a GGPU," Yohkin said holding up two guns. In the dim lighting of the hold, Zack could hardly believe his eyes when he looked at the weapon that were supposedly of a futurisric society: a flintlock and a Winchester rifle. Nonetheless, he followed Yohkin eagerly upstairs back to the deck. Once he was there, Yohkin shoved them in his hands and Zack could finally inspect it closely. The flintlock looked exactly like a classic one except: one, it was made of metal but light, and two, instead of the two flints near the handle, there was a cartridge slotted in. The other, aside from the same metal, it had no difference to a traditional Winchester rifle; from the barrel to the lever at the trigger guard. "This here," Yohkin began, "is what we call a plaslock or a plasma flintlock to you. The cartridge is a plasma cell and it recharges on solar. Its low calibre, but good enough to kill a guy who's wearing nothing but clothes between his skin and hey, it has virtually unlimited ammo. The rifle," now pointing at the rifle, "is slightly more, er, deadly. Average cal and medium to high range, I mean waddya expect? Its a rifle! Fast reload, holds up to 24 shots. Its a laser gun like the ones you se in those cheezy scifi shows," Zack turned the rifle around and back. "The ammo load is on top instead of inside the lever, stupid design, and when its done, it automatically pops out. Here," and dummies were propped up at the far end of the deck, "try your hand at it," Zack put down the rifle and held the plaslock with one hand and aimed down the round barrel He fired. A shot punched the dummy in the shoulder. Yohkin nodded encouragingly, "Remember, it fires a plasma, so you have to account for the drop and stuff!" The recoil, which was apparently beneath Yohkin's attention, caused him to miss a few times but he knew that Yohkin was right; he needed practice. "Ok enough of that crud. Grab yer rifle," Zack put down the plaslock and took the rifle. Zack looked at Yohkin for further instruction and was surprised to see an identical rifle in his hands, as far as he knew, Yohkin's hands were empty. "Ok, this is how you hold a rifle," and he showed Zack the stance with his finger poised on the trigger, thumb over the groove right before the rifle butt and the rest of his fingers in the lever. He fired and hit the dummy in the head. He grinned at Zack and said slyly, "Your turn." Zack held his rifle up and looked through the sight and aimed carefully. He shot the dummy in the neck to which there was a round of applause and some soldiers were slapping hin on the back. "Ok Mister Ying, this is what we're gonna do everyday till we reach the academy. I don't want you to be an idiot, or for me to look like one," Yohkin said and winked, "You can now do what you want. Tomorrow, we start in earnest,"